Can India go past the Australia juggernaut in women’s T20Is?
The India-Australia women’s series has been like a roller-coaster ride. It started with India winning the historic one-off Test, and then Australia bouncing back strong in the three-match ODI affair winning it 3-0. Now with the final leg of the series to be played in the form of three-match T20Is, both teams will look to end the multi-format affair on a high.
The first T20I between India Women and Australia Women will be played on January 5 at Dr D Y Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai.
Squads
India: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Yastika Bhatia (wicket-keeper), Richa Ghosh (wicket-keeper), Amanjot Kaur, Shreyanka Patil, Mannat Kashyap, Saika Ishaque, Renuka Singh Thakur, Titas Sadhu, Pooja Vastrakar, Kanika Ahuja, Minnu Mani
Australia: Alyssa Healy (captain and wicket-keeper), Tahlia McGrath (vice-captain), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney (wicket-keeper), Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Grace Harris
Head-to-Head
India and Australia have played 31 T20Is against each other, of which Australia have won 23, whereas India have managed to win just seven (including one Super Over win), with one match not producing a result. In India, the record is again lopsided with Australia winning 10 of the 12 T20Is. The last five T20Is played between the two sides have seen India winning just the one (in the Super Over).
| India | Australia | |
| ICC T20I Rankings | 3 | 1 |
| Head-to-Head in T20Is | 7 | 23 |
| In India | 2 | 10 |
| Last 5 T20Is | 1 | 4 |
Players to watch out for
Smriti Mandhana: India’s stylish left-handed opening batter is closing in on 3000 T20Is runs. She is world number 4 in women’s T20Is and will be expected to deliver the required goods. Also, she likes playing against Australia, having registered six half-centuries against them. She averages 30 and scores at a strike rate of 130 against this opposition, which is more than her T20I career statistics (average 27 and strike rate 122).
Deepti Sharma: India’s talented all-rounder, who is an off-spinner and a left-handed middle-order batter, is world number 4 in the list of all-rounders in women’s T20Is. She has over 100 T20I wickets and close to 2000 T20I runs making her one of the best in the team. She can open the bowling as well as bowl in the death overs offering flexibility to her captain in the bowling department.
Phoebe Litchfield: This 20-year-old left-handed opening batter of Australia seems to be enjoying her time in India. She is on a dream run having hit two half-centuries and a century in her last three ODIs against India in Mumbai. She will be expected to carry her imperious 50-over form into the T20Is. She is known to be one such player who has almost all the shots in the book and can play all across the ground.
Ashleigh Gardner: Australia’s dashing all-rounder, who is an off-spinner and a right-handed middle order batter, is a genuine match winner. When Australia was here in India in December 2022 for the five-match T20I series, she won the player of the series award, thanks to her 115 runs (3 innings) and seven wickets.
Pitch
The venue has hosted just the two women’s T20Is to date. These two matches were played between India and Australia in December 2022. The teams batting second won both the games, albeit one was tied and won by the Super Over method. Both matches have been high scoring ones with over 350 runs being produced in each of them. Expect another run feast as the conditions will be conducive for batting.
Weather
The weather is expected to be relatively cool with temperatures hovering around 24 degrees Celsius. There will be no cloud cover and no chance of rain. The wind will blow from the west-northwest.
Milestone Alert
- Smriti Mandhana needs 2 runs to complete 3000 T20I runs
- Jemimah Rodrigues needs 77 runs to complete 2000 T20I runs
- Deepti Sharma needs 29 runs to complete 1000 T20I runs
- Jess Jonassen needs 4 wickets to complete 100 T20I wickets
Match details
Date: January 5, 2024
Time: 7 PM
Venue: Dr D Y Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai
Live streaming: Jio Cinema